JOE RAHON IS MAKING AN IMPACT AT BOSTON COLLEGE

“Olivier and Joe have really opened everybody’s eyes. Their ability to jump in and compete right away — and really be solid from Day One — picking up all the things the other guys already know. Those two guys have really jumped out.

“I can get anybody that can be conservative. I don’t want that. I want players that can be special, and I think they have the ability to do that.”

The season, however, didn’t start special for BC.

After a 1-3 start, the Eagles beat Auburn. Then there was a 56-54 loss to Bryant.

“After that loss, we got together and regrouped,” Rahon said. “We were tentative, so we changed the way we played defense. We’re much more aggressive. We compete more.

“A lot of the young guys weren’t used to practicing and playing hard. The coaches found a nice balance with their intensity to keep us fresh for games.

“Coach Donahue reminds me so much of Coach Olive. Maybe that’s why I like it so much here.”

Rahon has thrown himself into the Boston scene. He attended a Patriots game, has seen the Celtics play and plans to make a trip to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox.

After sending away for more pants, boots and coats, he’s better equipped to deal with the winter weather.

And he loves that every BC game is on TV.

“The ACC has a deal with ESPN, so my parents get to watch every game,” Rahon said. “And I get texts from my friends, so I stay connected to home.

“This experience has been all I could have hoped for.”

Men’s basketball

• Ray Purtle (Fallbrook) is the leading scorer at Bethany College in Kansas, averaging 15.8 points a game. The senior is shooting 43.5 percent (40-of-92) from beyond the 3-point arc. He had a season-high 25 points against Bethel. Freshman Sedrick Childress (Vista) is averaging 9.1 points a game with a career-high 22 Saturday against Saint Mary of Kansas.

• Sophomore point guard Chris Gorman (El Camino/Palomar College) has started all 13 games for Vanguard University. He’s averaging 13.6 and 2.6 rebounds a game and leads the team in assists (44) and average minutes played (28.6).

• Dayton Boddie (El Camino) is averaging 4.0 points and 3.6 rebounds a game while playing an average of 13 minutes a game for UC Riverside. Preston Butler (El Camino), also a sophomore, has played in five games for Vanguard.

• Big man Sam Beeler (Poway) has played in every game for UC Santa Barbara as a freshman. He’s averaging 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds a game while playing an average of 8.3 minutes.

• Freshman Garrett Galvin (Torrey Pines) made the team at Cal as a preferred walk-on and has played in two games for the Bears.

• David Travers (La Costa Canyon) has played in 10 games as a freshman at Georgia State.

• John Fletcher (Vista) is starting for Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore. He had a season-high 29 points in a recent game against North Idaho.